If you’ve spent time in the high desert of the West, you’ve seen juniper trees. They’re tough, scrappy, and—thanks to decades of fire suppression—way too plentiful. Once, this land was open grassland, but now juniper has taken over, sucking up scarce water, causing erosion, and crowding out native plants and wildlife.

That’s why we’re excited to carry Restoration Juniper from Sustainable Northwest Wood, at Second Use. This wood is sourced from ecosystem restoration projects in Eastern Oregon, where removing juniper is helping bring back sagebrush steppe habitat, improve conditions for threatened species like Sage Grouse and Salmon, and restore the flow of water in fragile desert streams. We are currently stocking 2×6 Decking, made from Restoration Juniper, in lengths of around 8.5-9′. This material is sold by the Linear Foot, at $3.50/LF. Item #1288019. Check it out!

And beyond the environmental benefits, the material itself is incredible. Juniper is naturally rot-resistant—no chemicals or treatments required—making it perfect for outdoor projects like garden boxes, decking, fencing, siding, or landscaping. Indoors, it brings a warm, one-of-a-kind character to butcher block, flooring, accent walls, or even ceiling paneling. Strong, durable, and beautiful—this is wood that’s meant to be used and enjoyed.

So when you purchase this material at Second Use, you’re not just getting high-quality reclaimed material—you’re helping heal a landscape, sustain local communities, and bring a little bit of the high desert into your home. How cool is that?

This material is currently available at our Seattle location. Give us a call to check stock levels and read more about Restoration Juniper on Sustainable Northwest Wood’s website, here! We can’t wait to see what you do with this great material!

This kitchen makeover Tacoma customer Heather shared with us is a perfect example of what you can do with a creative eye, some patience, and of course the bevy of reclaimed materials you’ll find in our stores!

Heather was excited to point out all of the tasty salvaged tidbits she cooked up in her kitchen:

“Stuff from the Tacoma Second Use is all over our kitchen now!”

“First came the cabinet handles. Then we found the live edge acacia butcher block and the huge sink. Then we found the subway tile and the edge trim bits. The latest was ripping out the ancient uppers and replacing them with open shelving made from reclaimed high school bleacher foot boards.”

“Bonus that we found the chicken on top of everything and bought it on a whim!”

Heather did a great job incorporating reclaimed materials into her project and so can you! Stop by, get inspired, find that DIY spirit, and email you project photos to customerprojects@seconduse.com, for a little store credit as a ‘Thank You!’.

For a long time I’ve wanted to convert my back entryway into a small mudroom. It was a nonfunctional space with no place to hang a coat or put shoes on.

I had the idea to build a bench seat in this area and clad the walls in beadboard, but when I priced beadboard at the local lumber yard, the cost for the nice tongue and groove stuff was pretty hefty–more than I could justify spending on a little mudroom.

Luckily for me, I found some really nice fir beadboard at Second Use Tacoma ( https://www.seconduse.com/?post_type=item&p=3593825 ) at a good price, and my little mudroom project began.

My first step was to draw a level line around the room where the top of the beadboard would go. Then I removed all the drywall below this line and replaced it with some 1/2″ plywood. I did this to have a clean, solid surface to nail my beadboard to.

Next I built a bench seat with finish-grade plywood. I built this a little smaller than the space it was going into for ease of installation. The beadboard was 5/8″ thick and would cover any gaps between the wall and the bench seat.

After that, I began installing the beadboard, which was the simplest part of the whole project. I first nailed up the trim cap along that level line I drew earlier, and used that as a guide to keep each piece of beadboard straight. Then I just cut each board to length, butted it to the trim cap, and nailed it off.

The item description on the Second Use website mentioned that the boards varied slightly in thickness, but I only had two boards (out of about 25) that were slightly thinner than the rest. Luck of the draw maybe. I sat them aside and used them on shorter walls where their difference in thickness would not be a problem.

Once the beadboard was installed, I added some baseboard to cover my nail holes, then caulked and painted. I’m very happy with the result. All in all, a very fun project!

Customer Sagar was kind enough to not only share their fantastic DIY project, they also included step-by-step instructions (With Pictures!) of the process they used! All words and photos are courtesy of Sagar.

It all started when I purchased this interesting looking antique oak heating grate from Second Use, sometime last year.

It was really cool for a heating grate (pun intended), but it stayed in my garage for months as I couldn’t figure out what to really do with it.

Recently, I was watching how the Japanese Kumiko lanterns were made and that’s when my bulb went on. Instead of making those small Kumiko style lamps, I decided to make a floor standing lamp. 

The build was pretty straight forward – make a box to hold the grate. I had a bunch of leftover birch veneer plywood from another project, so decided to use that to make the shell.

As the overall piece was pretty lightweight and doesn’t have to hold a ton of weight, I decided to just glue it. My wife was kind enough to let me use the kitchen counter as my work bench as my garage is not conditioned and glue needs a certain minimum temperature to cure properly.

The basic form was complete.

Next, it was time to clean up the grate. I used Krud Kutter and a toothbrush to scrub and clean up all the gunk accumulated in the grate over its lifespan. I waited for a day for it to completely dry off and then applied a coat of Spray lacquer to finish it off. For the plywood, I applied a coat of Osmo hard wax oil.

It was time to work on the light now. I purchased an off white Shoji paper and rice starch based glue to cover the grate from inside. The rice starch glue is important as it allows for easy removal and replacement of the paper in case of any damage in the future.

I used a paint brush to apply the glue on the grate. I didn’t apply on the whole grid, just on the outer corner and the middle intersecting pieces. Then I rolled the shoji paper and trimmed the excess.

As I wanted a soft low light with even dispersion, I opted to use a low 5v LED strip which doesn’t get warm and can be safely mounted directly on the finished wood surface.I tested it in the dark  to make sure I’m happy with the LED light.

That was it! Did you like it? If you’ve any comments or feedback, do share it! -Sagar

sagarnshastry@gmail.com

One of the most exciting parts of working with architectural salvage is getting our hands on historic building materials that we just don’t see every day. Today, let’s dive into something truly special!

Right now, at our Seattle location, we have a unique selection of pigmented structural glass in stock, available in a variety of colors and sizes. Two well-known brand names for this material are Vitrolite and Carrera, though there were about eight in total. This remarkable glass was highly valued for its incredible strength and durability—it doesn’t craze, swell, or warp. It’s also exceptionally burn-resistant, stain-resistant, and colorfast. Plus, because it’s non-porous, it won’t absorb bacteria or viruses, making it easy to clean and disinfect.

Developed in the early 1900s by the Marietta Mfg. Co. of Indianapolis, this innovative material was originally designed as a sanitary and affordable alternative to marble. Initially available only in black, white, and beige, it was first marketed as a lining for refrigerators. As other manufacturers adopted the process, they introduced new pigments and expanded its applications. Soon, this durable glass found its way into laboratories, bakeries, and dairies, prized for its hygienic and easy-to-clean properties.

By the 1930s, in the midst of the Great Depression, over 30 colors of this remarkable glass were available, including translucent options. Vitrolite and its counterparts became icons of the Streamline Moderne and Art Deco movements, gracing building facades, storefronts, and serving as a sleek backdrop for painted, decaled, and even backlit business signs. In an era of economic struggle, it was marketed as a “modern” and therefore superior design choice—one that business owners believed would attract more customers and boost sales. If you’ve ever admired the glamorous facades of historic theaters, chances are you’ve seen Vitrolite adding to their dazzling appeal!

In homes, pigmented structural glass became a sought-after material for creating stunning, custom-designed interiors. Its sleek, glossy surface and wide range of colors made it perfect for crafting bespoke bathrooms, elegant fireplace surrounds, stylish countertops, eye-catching backsplashes, and more. Not only was it visually striking, but its durability, stain resistance, and ease of cleaning made it a practical choice for homeowners looking to combine beauty with functionality.

Today, while production has long since ceased, Vitrolite remains a highly sought-after material for historic restorations. Salvaged pieces are prized by architects and collectors who recognize its beauty and craftsmanship. Whether preserving a vintage storefront or incorporating it into contemporary design, Vitrolite continues to captivate with its timeless elegance and Art Deco charm. In St. Louis, MO, there exists possibly the last Vitrolite Specialist in the world, Tim Dunn.

If you’d like to see preservation in action right here in Seattle, look no further than the Roosevelt Light Rail Station. The station proudly showcases the original 1947 façade of the iconic Streamline Moderne-style Standard Radio building, a striking example of the style. This historic Vitrolite-clad façade was carefully dismantled from its original location and meticulously reinstalled at the station, serving as both a tribute to the past and a stunning architectural feature. Now, as riders pass through, they’re greeted by a piece of history—a reminder of the neighborhood’s evolution and the importance of preserving its architectural heritage.

Pigmented structural glass boasts a rich—and, quite frankly, fascinating—history. While I could go on for hours about its impact on architecture and design, I’ll leave you with all this information to spark your curiosity. Whether you’re a history buff, a design enthusiast, or simply someone who appreciates beautiful craftsmanship, there’s always more to explore. If this has piqued your interest, I encourage you to dive deeper into the world of Vitrolite and its counterparts—you never know where your newfound appreciation for this incredible material might take you! A great place to start is this amazingly in depth article from one of my favorite websites, decopix.com.

Last Spring, Second Use donated some furniture pieces with good bones, but in need of a little extra TLC, to an advisor at Gibson EK High School in Issaquah. With his guidance, these rough and rugged pieces would be restored to their former glory by a class of excited students.

One student, Isabella F., enrolled in this class hoping to learn the basics of furniture restoration, but as she started designing and saw the beautiful pieces others were creating, she knew she wanted to pursue this as a hobby.

Isabella took some leftover pieces home to work on in her free time. With encouragement from her friends and family, she gained the confidence to share and sell her work to the public. Since July 2024, she has restored and sold 15 pieces, helping her save up enough funds to buy a car!

She finds joy in giving new life to old pieces that are still worthy of love and more use. To anyone interested in furniture restoration, she says “I wholeheartedly encourage you to try it! It’s therapeutic and inspires community engagement. I suggest starting small and gradually building your skills until you feel comfortable with your own hands.”. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

Pictured are some of Isabella’s finished pieces. You can view her work online and she encourages you to follow along while learning new things together! Keep up the good work, Izzy!

https://www.facebook.com/share/nwC5zC1sP9wtuvLZ/

https://www.instagram.com/izzys.upcycling/profilecard/?igsh=MXMyYXBhbWk4YmlhZQ==

https://offerup.co/profile/izzyfalmoe

Our 12,000 square foot warehouse is located blocks away from downtown and the UW Tacoma campus near the Hilltop neighborhood. The store is currently open from 9a-5:30p daily, but you can browse our inventory of reclaimed doors, windows, cabinets, lighting, hardware, furniture, and more here on seconduse.com.

Bring your own shirt and we’ll make it fresh with a new Second Use Tacoma design! There is no charge to print a shirt if you bring your own or you can buy one from us, while supplies last.

They have created a stunning accent wall that adds a distinct pattern and lots of warmth to this cozy bedroom. A paneled wall is a great way to add some personality and a bit of a Midcentury vibe to your small space.

New Veneered Door Stop, Item #630922, is still available (while supplies last) for just $2. each at our Tacoma store. Pick some up, get inspired, and send some pictures to outreach@seconduse.com for a special treat!